Time requirement for advancement

[John-in-KC 311]

ONCE A QUARTER???

 

WHAT A CROCK OF EXCREMENT THAT STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN!!!

 

We adults are here to serve the youth. Let's do our jobs. When I was a CC, the Scout would ask me or the Advancement Coordinator for a BOR. Most of the time, we planned to make them happen 1 week later.

 

Units that have quarterly BORs for advancement are not supporting their youth.

[packsaddle 753]

mn_scout, I agree that boards meeting often and regularly can accomplish many things. But for this unit, there is no need as we don't have boys ready for advancement that often. Also, keep in mind that the model you quoted is there as a guideline. Meeting on a set date once each month would cover most needs but there is no reason a unit cannot have a BOR any time they want to. The guidelines are also good because the adults who must attend the board can plan for boards in their schedules, but there is no requirement to do it this way. The scout would also have the benefit of being able to plan but again, there is no actual requirement for the lead-time.

[evmori 11]

BOR's, especially in a small unit, should be held as needed not on a schedule.

[FireKat 10]

OK, I admit I have not read the SM Handbook, but why would it contain a schedule for BoRs? That is a committee function and in our committee training we were told to keep that flexable so the boys can advance at their own pace. Scouting should not be focused on advancement. That really makes it sound like school. "Tests will be held x times a year" unlike allowing the boys to learn to evaluate themselves and talk to the proper adults to learn how to evaluate thier progress.

We are a small troop too. It has never been a problem to do BoR on request. Even our district AC will hold boards as requested if needed for eagle candidates. There is an EBoR schedule but things happen. You should never hold a boy back on the whim of the adults, that can become a point of appeal. Don't set your troop up for trouble. You can have a schedule but be flexable enough to allow for such situations. 

Life is full of "jiggering"

[Eagle92 110]

I also think that once a quarter is too few and far between. And yes when it comes time for an Eagle BOR, council WILL scrutiniae those records and WILL kick back probelms. Trust me my paperwork was delayed becasue the EXACT DATE I earned MBs was not recorded properly, and council had to "jigger" those twice to fix it.

 

Also no matter how you file KEEP COPIES OF ADVANCEMENT REPORTS!!!! A very good frined of mine did everything, passed his EBOR and got kicked out of the system b/c council did not have any of his advancement recorded for 4 years. They had him listed as a First Class still.

[FireKat 10]

Eagle92, your comment on not having things recorded by council is one reason I ended up as AC. Too many things are overlooked by a too busy council. We had  boys transfer in from large troops using troopmaster whos dates were all messed up. Some are given ranks even before they were Boy Scouts. Hand writing massive advancements of summer camps and letting council enter them has caused some of the boys MB not to be entered.

I print each boy's advancement record from ScoutNet on a regular basis. I give the printouts to the boys and ask them to compaire them to their records. This leaves it to the boy to verify (a learning experince). Any glaring problems I point out to the boy and help him correct. I do this well in advance of the EBoR as I have seen too many eagle apps kicked back due to date troubles. Much better to correct these early than when the boy is 17.5. Councils run slow, a bad date may take months to fix.

[gcnphkr 11]

Try to schedule the BOR later if they are willing. It is silly not to have the BOR one week short of 6 months. It should not take 2-3 weeks to process advancement. Enter the awards into ScoutNet, print the forms, turn them into council and pick up the badges on the same trip.

 

Do not do the BOR early, this can create an issue once your son is ready for his Eagle. These dates are checked. Getting rank and the COH this go around will not be worth the headaches down the road.

[Beavah 205]

Yah, SM214, I expect da real answer to your question is the one you came up with: Ask your CC, I'm sure this has come up in the past and they've got a process for it. My guess is that they handle it like TwoCubsDad suggests. They hold the BOR on their schedule and adjust the paperwork. That happens all the time in programs.

 

While I tend to prefer and encourage BOR's "on demand", I don't think less of troops that do 'em on a schedule. That's just different, not better or worse. There's pros and cons each way. Generally speakin', units like SM214's will be a bit less advancement-focused on average (often a good thing), and the BORs will be more fair and uniform. I worry about the delay a bit for da youngest lads (though it's manageable) and I think it teaches the older lads to plan better and not expect adults to be at their beck and call. Just different.

 

Beavah

 

[nolesrule 58]

" I worry about the delay a bit for da youngest lads (though it's manageable) and I think it teaches the older lads to plan better and not expect adults to be at their beck and call. Just different. "

 

I hope you're referring to monthly scheduled board of review dates. Monthly is frequent enough that it won't have much of a long-term effect on advancement. On demand (as in within 1-2 weeks) is ideal, but if you are already holding monthly committee meetings, then everyone needed to hold a board of review is already assembled.

 

But quarterly is just not right. It forces 3-month waits on ranks that have no time requirement. It forces 6 months on a 4-month rank (Star) and if there is a 5 month 20ish day period because of poor scheduling, as is the case that we are discussing, that turns Life (and Eagle depending on how it's done locally) into 9 month tenures. That's 2-3 months wasted where a Scout can't fulfill the "while a First Class Scout", "while a Star Scout", or "while a a Life Scout" requirements.

 

We always talk about not adding to requirements here, but by forcing a quarterly board of review schedule, they are artificially increasing the time requirement by 33%, whether they realize it or not.

 

 

[John-in-KC 311]

The biggest reason I like on request boards is the effort it takes for me to have my head in the game. Someone coming to a BOR deserves my undivided attention. I start to drift around the 3d setting...

 

Fewer and more often keeps me fresher

[Beavah 205]

But quarterly is just not right. It forces 3-month waits on ranks that have no time requirement.... That's 2-3 months wasted where a Scout can't fulfill the "while a First Class Scout", "while a Star Scout", or "while a a Life Scout" requirements.

 

Yah, nolesrule, I hear yeh. I just reckon it's overstating things to think about three months of scouting fun and activity and leadership as being "wasted." We do have 7 other methods. Some units just aren't as advancement-focused, eh? Boys are in scouts for 7 years, the year and a third of mandated time doesn't need to be a race.

 

Boards of Review conducted quarterly prior to Courts of Honor can work just fine. Limits the rat race to only four months out of da year. And if youth leadership positions are selected on a six-month or longer basis, it really doesn't feel awkward. Kids and families are pretty used to earning awards at the end of a "season." Now, it probably wouldn't work for Daddy_O

 

Like I said, I tend to prefer BORs on demand, but in terms of outcomes and overall program quality, this isn't a big deal. Some troops make it work just fine. Pluses and Minuses.

 

KC, I agree with yeh. I like on demand boards because I can spend more time with a lad and be "fresh." Downside is they do tend to get longer, and yeh tend to get the same cast of characters who have schedules that can accommodate that. You lose some good MC's who can't do the short-term thing and need a better schedule. Da units that do quarterly boards tend to make 'em fun adult nights (perhaps refreshments), and oversee 'em a bit more because that's the focus for the night. They don't run on in terms of time.

 

Just different.

 

Beavah

(This message has been edited by Beavah)

[packsaddle 753]

O - M - G!!! Beavah, did you just write, "Daddy-O"????

You don't happen to have a set of bongos or something like that do you? Maybe a goatee and sunglasses? Wow, my mental image is reeling. I'm seeing......Maynard G. Krebs, like for sure, man!

[FScouter 24]

"Jiggering" = cheating. Considering we're in the business of teaching boys how to make ethical choices, such "jiggering" runs counter to principles.

 

Hows about jiggering the cast in stone schedule?

[John-in-KC 311]

Pack,

 

As in Mr Daddy_O ... he of the desire to have his boy in an Eagle Mill...

[nolesrule 58]

"Yah, nolesrule, I hear yeh. I just reckon it's overstating things to think about three months of scouting fun and activity and leadership as being "wasted." We do have 7 other methods. Some units just aren't as advancement-focused, eh? Boys are in scouts for 7 years, the year and a third of mandated time doesn't need to be a race. "

 

Beavah, I agree with that and perhaps "wasted" was a poor choice of words, though I was only applying it to the advancement process and not the rest of the scouting experience. But just because advancement is just one of the methods of scouting doesn't mean artificial delays should be created (knowingly or unknowingly) for those that do want to advance.

 

And I need to correct my math. It's actually a 50% increase in the time requirements, not 33%.